I recently stayed at a bed and breakfast and the owner had a pair of elephant molars sitting on a shelf, she says I'm the first customer of hers who recognized them. They were kind of neat to see and I've never held one so I was amazed at the weight.

The question immediately popped into my mind "I wonder why hunters don't keep the molars from their elephants." So my question to the seasoned elephant hunters, have you ever kept the molars? They make a great set of book ends.

I have a set of molars but they are still in the ele's skull. So far I have not been able to pull one out. I am afraid if I pry it may break. Would make a good paper weight.

BigB

I have a couple of nice ones.....HOWEVER...... I live in the Great Southwest, where it is dry, dry, dry. IF YOU DO NOT SUBMERGE those things in epoxy, they will crack to all hell and back! I managed to save mine JUST in the nick of time. They are only half cracked all to pieces.

Interesting, the ones I saw were in Scotland so it must be humid enough there to avoid cracking. Were yours ever boiled? I know bear and other carnivore teeth crack badly when over heated.

Never boiled......just dryer than dry here with no humidity.

Like BColyer I learned that the molars need an epoxy bath to stay intact. Gave one to my dentist who was amazed, but that one had not had the epoxy treatment and is in the process of just splintering away.

Regards

quote:

Originally posted by calgarychef1:
The question immediately popped into my mind "I wonder why hunters don't keep the molars from their elephants."

I brought back my elephant's tusks, skull and lower jaw(with molars).

I really regret not bringing back one or both of my elephants femurs. They are impressive. My regret at leaving them is deepened by the fact that we used the femurs to bait in my lion.

I know that many guys don't want the extra cost of bringing back the skull, but I would really recommend bringing back at least one of the femurs.

Okay, so this will drift off topic a bit, but it still involves animal bones.

After I shot my giraffe in 2010 in Namibia, I saved the front lower leg bones and subsequently found a place that did scrimshaw carving on the bones for me. Anyone who has seen them here at home has been duelly impressed not only by the scrimshaw work (african animal scenes on one and a group of elephants, hey I must be back on topic now, on the other bone) but also by the size and weight of these bones. One of the neatest post hunt trophies I have managed to get from a trip to africa. I of course also saved the giraffes skull (upper & lower section), the skin in two parts and the front hooves and skin from the lower front legs. Other than the bones and one section of the skin(neck part) thats being done as a rug, I haven't made definite decisions about the other parts final products.